Thurs. 3 P.M.
28 Feb. 46
My dear Fran:
Well honey
this tub finally got under way at 11 A.M. Nothing exciting has happened and so
far the trip is very smooth but we aren’t actually out to sea as yet. I hit the
sack after I wrote you last night and even with two blankets on I [edited for
content] near froze to death. All the hatches are kept open and that makes it
quite cold down here. Tonight I will sleep in my clothes and see if I can keep
warm. I got up at 9:30 A.M. and missed breakfast. We cleaned up and went up on
deck until they had inspection then I came down and laid
down and fell asleep until dinner time. Haven’t done anything but go up on deck
and walk around then come back down again. We aren’t allowed to smoke here
where we sleep so we must either go on deck or back in the latrine. We had cold
cuts for dinner bologna, cheese, tuna fish, bread butter, & coffee and
apples for dessert. Honey I will make this letter continuous and mail it all
together when we hit land. Before I sign off for this afternoon I must tell you
I love you more than anything and I think of you every minute. I hope this
letter finds you and your folks in A-1 health and take good care of yourself
because it won’t be too long before I’m back in your arms again dear. I hope
and pray God watches over you and our families.
With all my love,
Your
honey.
Saturday
3 P.M.
2 Mar. 46
My dear Fran:
Well dear
as you might expect we are still swaying around in the middle of the Pacific. I
didn’t write yesterday as I didn’t feel any to well. That certainly was a mess
all day yesterday and the previous evening. Almost everyone got sick. You
couldn’t get near the latrine for men “popping their cookies”. The smell was
awful and if you weren’t sick the smell made you that way. Fortunately honey
I’ve kept mine down how I don’t know but I just made up my mind I wasn’t going
to get sick and from all indications I guess I’m not going to. It was quite
rough all day yesterday but today has been very nice. I haven’t been eating too
much but don’t worry honey I’m not starving. Got up this A.M. about 8:30 washed
and shaved then went topside and stayed there until about 1 o’clock. The sun
was shining and the sea was very calm. They have a microphone aboard ship that
brings us music and daily programs all day long so that’s something to occupy
our minds but outside of that there isn't a [edited for content] thing to do.
You can't even find room to play cards so that’s out. By the way guess what
I've started to read "Sociology" I drew 2 volumes from the library at
Ford Lawton before I left. They are forever after us for details so today 13 of
our gang signed up to work in the bakery. We work for 3 P.M. to 5 A.M. every
other day. The thing we were all looking out for is the fact that will eat well
and all we want and it makes the trip go faster. Well dear it’s now 6 P.M. and
we've finished supper (lamb, beans, fruit salad). I've spent just about all day
up on deck. Even though there isn't a thing to see the air does you some good.
We did pass one ship today that was headed for the coast but it was a little
too far for me to jump. According to the ship's paper we have 4,890 miles to go
yet. Well my darling I think I'll sign off for today
but don't forget dear I love you more than anything in the world so be good and
write every day. I miss you more than you realize but I look at my honey's
picture everyday.
With all my love,
Your
honey.
Sunday
11 P.M.
3 Mar 46
My darling Fran: -
Well here it
is Sunday and about four days have passed since we've boarded this crate. I
just got through eating breakfast, imagine it starts at 9 o'clock and here it
is 11 and it isn't over with yet. I didn't have anything but bread and coffee
[edited for content] if I can he those scrambled eggs they give you. We are
supposed to start work in the baker shop at 3 today so I should eat better from
now on. Most of the boys are nursing colds including myself but we got cold
tablets from the medic so they seem to be helping. I guess nearly everyone is
over the sea sickness as the sea has become very calm. Last night Cookie, Sankey, and myself took in a movie. I think you were with
me when I seen it before it was "Weekend at the Waldorf". We only
went to pass some time away. There isn't a [edited for content] thing to do in
the line of amusement. There's only one lounge on board and of course that's
for "brass" only. Down below deck where we sleep there isn't any room
to play cards or anything else. Honey while I think of it you can sign me up in
the V.F.W. now and when you do please send the card as it may come in handy
some time or other, you can also sign up yourself and you may find something
there to take up some of your time. Well honey these letters written from day to
day are rather short but you can be assured I'm thinking of you every minute of
the day. I stood on deck this morning and was thinking about that day I met you
in
With all my love,
Your
honey.
Monday
4 P.M.
4 Mar. 46
My dear Fran:
Here's
another day passed which means we are getting closer to
With all my love,
Your
honey.
Wednesday
11 A.M.
6 Mar 46
My darling Fran:
Honey
you'll probably notice I missed writing yesterday but I didn't do anything to
write about. We did spend the biggest part of the day on deck as it was very
nice. Most fellows had their shirts off getting a sun tan. Our Lt. got our
order from the commissary for us, I got a box of "Fifth Avenue" candy
bars and 7 boxes of vanilla wafers (N.B.C) I worked in the bakery again last
night. We baked 400 loaves of bread. Of course we ate well. We baked some
With all my
love,
Your
honey.
Thurs.
11:30 A.M.
7 Mar. 46
My darling Fran: -
Well dear
another day has passed which means we are getting closer to
With all my love,
Your
honey.
Saturday
2:30P.M.
9 Mar. 46
My dear Fran: -
You may
think that I missed writing yesterday but I didn’t because we crossed the
International date line this morning making today Sat.
and yesterday Thurs. we also moved our watches back another hour so I'm really
all screwed up as far as the time is concerned. Last night I worked in the
baker shop again. We baked 5 hundred loaves of bread and had plenty to eat. I
had a couple of cold roast beef sandwiches, bread & jelly, four whole
grapefruits and goodness knows what else. As a rule we don’t eat very much the
next day and can easily see why. We worked pretty late last night so I didn’t
get up until noon today. Four of us played pinochle until 2 o'clock then we had
another "abandon ship" drill. I guess we will probably play pinochle
the balance of the afternoon and if there's a decent movie showing tonight I'll
go see it. Last night "Tall in the Saddle" with John Wayne played but
since I worked I didn’t get to see it. Well honey I hope this letter isn’t too monotonous
because it’s a repetition all the way through, although it's proof that I'm
thinking of my honey every day. If I had a dollar for every time I was caught
thinking of my honey I'd be rich honey. Well anyway I love you and that’s one
thing they can't take away from me. Hoping that you're well, give my regards to
your folks and our friends. Be a good girl and write every day. So until
tomorrow God Bless my honey and all our folks.
With all my love,
Your honey forever.
Monday noon
11 Mar. 46
My dear Fran:-
Well honey I was a bad boy
yesterday first because I didn’t go to church and secondly because I didn’t
write my darling a letter. Sat. night I was up late because Sankey
& I went to the movies then after the movies we messed around in the bake
shop making steak, frying ham, etc so come Sunday I didn’t get up until after
12 noon and I went to work early therefore I didn’t write. We saw "And
Then There Were None" starring Berry Fitzgerald. It's pretty good but it's
deep as its a mystery. I'm still nursing the cold that
I spoke of early in my letter. I'm scared to death because there's about 10 or
12 cases of measles aboard ship and I certainly hate to get it. They may even
quarantine the whole boat when we hit
With all my love,
Your honey.
Tuesday
2 P.M.
12 Mar. 46
My darling Fran:
Just came
in from "Abandon Ship" drill so before I go to work in the bake shop
I'll write my daily latter. Yesterday wasn't a bit different than any other
day, playing pinochle all afternoon, partaking of chow (very poor), and taking
in the second chow. I saw "Guest Wife" starring Don Ameche and Claudette Cobbert. It
was plenty good. Didn't get up until 10:30 this morning, went topside long
enough to get some fresh air then came below and read until this drill. I think
I forgot to tell you that Sunday we had turkey for dinner, the only decent meal
since we've been aboard this scow. Imagine this chow will be good to the
"crap" they are going to give us in
With all my love,
Your
honey.
Weds.
11 P.M.
13 Mar. 46
My darling Fran:
Well dear here
it is about journeys end and I'm an awful long way from the little girl I love.
We are due in
With all my love,
Your
honey.
Thurs.
10:30 P.M.
14 Mar. 46
My darling Fran:
Well dear I
just finished working the bake shop so I'll bring this small volume to a close
and mail it in the morning. We pulled in to
With all my
love,
Your
honey.